This is the second of a two part report on our visit to Japan. For the first part, where we visit Tokyo and the Hakone area, please click here.
We found ourselves waiting on the station
platform when a bullet train, traveling at nearly 200 miles per hour, came
screaming through. It was an eight-car express train, not having a scheduled stop
at our station. It disappeared as fast as it arrived in a whoosh and a roar
before all was quiet once again. Soon thereafter, our Kyoto-bound bullet train
slowed into the station. After boarding,
we too were now traveling at our own 200 miles per hour while watching the nearby
countryside pass by in a blur.
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| Sleek, aerodynamic bullet trains await their passengers. |
Added to the experience were the crystal-clear
blue skies of the early morning. Pre-trip literature offered a tip that we sit
on the right-hand side of the train on mornings such as this one. And the
ticket agent obliged our request that we be assigned such seats. Why? It became
obvious when we came out of a tunnel soon after leaving the station.
BAM! There it was. A spectacular view of Mt.
Fuji in the distance. Its snow-covered slopes, made whiter and more brilliant from yesterday’s
heavy snowfall, contrasted sharply against the nearly cloud free skies offering
a view of this iconic Japanese view like none other.
After arriving at the very busy and hectic Kyoto train station, we headed east then north along a side street
that Mary Kay suggested looked interesting. Had she not done so, we would have
missed the group of Buddhist monks who were chanting and playing music as they
walked door to door, seeking alms from those who answered. Never would we have
seen them and this display of deep culture had MK not convinced me to turn off
of my otherwise planned walking route.
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| Buddhist monks seeking alms. |
Our immediate destination was the Sanjusangendo Temple, which has been deemed a National Treasure by the Japanese government. The
prominent feature is a 400-foot long building that has remained unchanged for
700 years (save for several structural renovations).
Inside, there are 1001 Buddhist statues all
lined up in perfect rows and guarded by numerous Buddhist deities. Made in the
12th and 13th centuries, they all appeared to be unique from one another. It is
forbidden to take photographs of the statues. So, I instead took a picture of a
picture (it begs the question, doesn’t it, on how the person who took the
original photo got away with it).
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| My photo of a photo of some of the 1001 Buddhist statues in Sanjusangendo. |
We weaved our way up and down the streets of
the Higashiyama District through the thick crowds of people who were out and
about on this late Sunday afternoon. From there, our turn to the west took us
down the busy main street and through the Nishiki Food Market which was packed with
people, all nut to butt, before wearily arriving at our hotel. The first order
of business after checking in was for us to attend to several practical matters
(laundry, groceries, etc.) that needed attention after the two weeks of travel
already under our belt.
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| Many gas stations have their pumps suspended from the ceiling to save the space that pump islands would otherwise take up. |
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| The crowed Nishiki Food Market. |
MK’s knee, which she injured while ascending a set of subway stairs back in Tokyo, was on the mend. Thankfully, she was able to get around on our upcoming and various long city walks without discomfort. With her healed, we went back at the Higashiyama District the following morning to traverse this popular and highly visited area of Kyoto. It is here that we learned a whole lot more about the Japanese culture.
The isolation policies of the Samurai and
Shogun era (1600s through the mid-1800s) kept all foreign influence out of
Japan. Foreigners were prevented entry into the country. At the same time,
Japanese citizens were prevented from traveling abroad to learn what the rest
of the world was doing. Sounds draconian doesn’t it? But, as a result, one of
the most unique cultures of the world evolved. Sushi, Geishas, kimonos, bonsai,
sumo wrestling, wood block prints, Kabuki dance – the things one normally
associates with Japan – all got its start during this period of isolation.
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| I took these photos of a Sumo wrestling match from our hotel room TV, the only sporting event that was on at that time. |
The Shinto strain of the Buddhist religion also
formed during this time. In fact, it is considered Japan’s indigenous religion.
While Buddhism focuses on the afterlife, Shintoism focuses on gods and deities
arising from the natural world. Concurrently, Confucianism focuses on how to
live a meaningful life. We learned the Japanese are fond of saying they are
born a Shintoist, live life as a Confucianist, and die a Buddhist.
And throughout the life of a Japanese, the Zen
style of living is regularly practiced in all things – modest, natural, mind
cleansing – in short, a “simple is beautiful” way of living.
Then there are the temples and shrines devoted
to all of this. They. Are. Everywhere! They are on every corner and in every
neighborhood.
Many had bells, some weighing as much at 70 tons, rung only on
New Year’s Eve. The one at the Chion Temple is rung 108 times. The number is
associated with the various desires in one’s life. By ringing the bell 108
times, adherents are cleansing their life from the 108 desires that steered
them wrong during the year and can now start the new year fresh and clean.
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| Kiyomizu Temple. |
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| Chion Temple. |
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| The 70 ton bell at Chion Temple. |
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| Photo of a photo of the monks ringing the bell on New Year's Eve. |
Many of the buildings within the various temple
and shrine grounds were built 500 to 1000 years ago. Amazingly, they were
designed and constructed without the use of nails, screws, or mortar. Despite
this, they have withstood the ravages of time as well as an earthquake or two
over the centuries.
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| This view of the Yasaka Pagoda is one of Kyoto's iconic scenes. |
By late afternoon, MK and I chose to go separate
ways. She headed back to the main street to look at the stores and market areas
while I headed north to walk along the “Philosopher’s Path.” This path was a
serene walkway along a lovely canal from which I was able to visit more temples
and authentic neighborhoods.
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| The Philosopher' Path. |
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| Nanzenji Temple. |
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| Ginkakuji Temple. |
At dusk, as I headed back to the hotel to meet
up with MK, I had had enough of the custom and practice of waiting for the
green walk light before crossing an intersection. I talk more about this in my part one report on Japan describing how respectful and law-abiding
the Japanese people are when it comes to rules, crossing the street being one
of them.
It was no longer making sense to me to
obediently wait, like everyone else, for the signal to tell me to cross the
street when there were no cars anywhere in the area and there was absolutely no
danger in forging ahead. Boy, did I get the stink eye on the several occasions when
I chose to flaunt the rules as I walked back to the hotel.
The following morning, we boarded an “old
school” tram on the Randen Line for our journey to the western outskirts of
Kyoto. The tram lurched and creaked its way along what seemed were ancient
tracks running through various neighborhoods (think the “L” in Chicago, only
this one here in Kyoto is at ground level).
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| The Randen Tram. |
Our first stop was at the Ryoan-ji Temple where
a Zen rock garden is its main feature. My initial impression upon seeing this
simple rock garden was one of disappointment. “That’s it?” I asked MK as we
viewed the few rocks surrounded by precisely and meticulously raked sand. Right
at about the time I was to complain further, MK adjusted my thinking and reminded me that
I was missing the whole point. “Zen, Mark. Zen. Simple is beautiful, remember?”
She was right, of course, and it set me straight to appreciate what I was
viewing.
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| Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple. |
When we walked through an old
neighborhood to head back toward the tram station, we were stopped by a sweet old lady who
stepped outside the door of her corner bakery shop to greet us. She beckoned us
inside and then proudly served us her homemade seaweed tea, hoping that we would then buy some. To say it was very
salty would be an understatement. We couldn’t finish it. Luckily, others had since
stopped by to try some which gave us the cover needed to stealthily place our
cups down on the counter. We were able to quietly slink away and avoid any
face-to-face offensive encounter we may otherwise have had with this proud
woman.
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| We didn't buy this woman's seaweed tea. |
Other than with this experience, the food and
drink during our time here in Japan have been very good. The sushi is tasty and
delicious. Sushi, sushi, and more sushi. I had some just about every day. In
fact, I’ve eaten so much sushi it could probably fill one of those large
aquariums that sit in your dentist’s waiting room. And who knows? Maybe some of
the sushi came from such an aquarium.
The tempura is just ok. We’re not into deep
fried food and tempura falls into that category. Then there are the noodles. We
had our fill of just about every type. Some may say that we had oodles of
noodles.
The okonomiyaki was one of our faves. The best
way to describe it is that it is Japan’s answer to pizza, although with
fresher, less fattening ingredients. Having the chef prepare it at your table
adds to the experience. Equally good was the takoyaki, which is a dough ball with
octopus filling, and the matcha (green tea) flavored ice cream and other sweets.
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| Okonomiyaki being prepared at our table. |
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| Delicious takoyaki. |
When not eating at a restaurant, we found a
surprising amount of quality food-to-go from the convenience stores we found on
just about every corner or in the basement levels of multi-story department
stores. Many of our meals came from these types of places.
All in all, the food has just been wonderful.
Oh, and did I tell you about the sushi?
Back on the tram, we headed to the Arishiyama
District at the foot of the hillsides ringing Kyoto’s far western fringe. A
kimono “forest” greeted us as we exited the tram’s terminal station. Further on
was the District’s notable bamboo forest. In my pre-trip research, I had read
about this forest and simply had to experience it for myself. Given the crowds,
it seemed many others had the same idea.
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| The tram station's kimono "forest." |
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| A chilly walk through the bamboo forest. |
By early evening, we were back in central
Kyoto. We met up with Junko, a very friendly middle-aged woman, who led us
through the Gion neighborhood and its various Geisha districts. She was very
knowledgeable about the Geisha culture, especially since her grandmother worked
as one back in the 1920s.
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| Junko with a picture of her grandmother. |
Here in Kyoto, Geishas are called Geikos. One
only reaches Geiko status after numerous years as a Maiko, or an apprentice.
And then, you cannot become an apprentice until you first pass through a stage
where you are considered an “Egg.”
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| Walking through a Geiko district. |
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| One of several Geiko boarding houses. |
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| The names of the Geikos are displayed above the boarding house doorway. |
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| Schedule of upcoming Geiko lessons (dance, musical instruments, flower arrangement, singing, etc.). |
Photographing a Geiko is prohibited. Many signs
along the streets say so, including notice of heavy fines if caught. However,
Junko urged me to take a picture of one who had just passed by as she scampered
on toward her next appointment.
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| The only picture of a real Geiko that I was able to take. |
Later, we saw a young man park his fat tire
bike and enter one of the Geiko boarding houses. Junko informed us that he was there
to dress the Geikos for their upcoming evening appointment. Apparently, the gowns
they wear are so cumbersome and heavy (the main garment that is tied in a bun
in the small of the back is over twenty feet long and weighs around sixteen pounds)
that they need assistance while getting dressed. An interesting note is that
all of the dressers are male who inherit the family run business as it is passed down through the generations.
A Geiko’s job is to serve as a hostess of
sorts, entertaining men (sometimes women) with song, dance, and the playing of
musical instruments all while drinking and eating with gusto. It is not sexual
in any way. It is a way of keeping a man company in an exotic, traditional, and
very expensive manner. “One Geisha for two hours costs around $750,” Junko
shared. “Quite an expensive hobby, huh?”
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| Photo of a Geiko on a recruitment poster. |
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| Not a real Geiko. This is a tourist playing wanna-be. |
HIROSHIMA AND OSAKA
Our first stop after we arrived in Hiroshima
the following morning was at the hypocenter where, approximately 2000 feet
above, the atom bomb exploded on August 6, 1945. In a matter of seconds, a 950
mile per hour, 7,000-degree Fahrenheit blast of wind and radiation instantly killed
140,000 people (among them were American POWs - something I did not know
previously). Many more thousands died in the ensuing decades due to various
radiation-related cancers and diseases. A small monument is the only evidence
of this important spot. It is now surrounded by apartments, a parking deck, and
a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store.
Around the corner, though, is a more poignant
reminder of this event: The A-Bomb Dome. Being almost directly underneath
ground zero, many of its walls remained intact, not succumbing to the ferocious
and hellish winds that quickly moved away from the center of the explosion.
Once officially known as the Hiroshima
Prefectural Hall, the fate of the A-Bomb Dome remained uncertain in the years
following the war. Some wanted it demolished for it brought back terrible and
painful memories. Others wanted it preserved as a symbol of what humankind is
capable of, hoping it would serve as a reminder not to repeat such an event.
Donations to preserve the site started to pour
in. Public opinion shifted. It is now listed as an U.N. World Heritage Site.
At the nearby Memorial Peace Museum, more of
the horrors brought on by the bombing were made front and center in a stark and
unfiltered way.
Testimonials and artifacts were on display.
Quotes serving as remembrances of the day were placed on the walls. Timelines
and the U.S. decision-making process leading up to the bombing gave a blunt
description of the choices that were to be made. Along with others who were in
the museum with us, we viewed and absorbed all of this quietly, humbly, and
with respectful dignity.
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| Just some of the victims. |
While we were inside the museum, the clouds
that made for an overcast day descended in a gray and menacing manner. Rain was
falling and the temperatures had dropped. The weather added to the somber mood we
had as we opened our umbrellas and quietly made our way back to our hotel. Once there, we looked out our 23rd floor window. The now modern city was spread out before us. We shuddered to think that only 75 or so years ago, all that we were seeing now was once a charred and desolate wasteland.
We hadn’t planned on doing much on our final full
day in Japan other than to make our way to our Osaka hotel and call it good.
However, we woke up feeling guilty and couldn’t let such a day pass without
doing something. And that something was to get off of our bullet train halfway
between Hiroshima and Osaka and visit the city of Himeji. We found there a
beautiful and brilliant white medieval castle said to be the most significant
wooden building in Japan.
Like we previously have done at many temples,
shrines, and revered sites, we were instructed to take off our shoes and replace
them with slippers provided out of a big bin. Our route through the castle
required us to ascend several narrow wooden stairways leading up to its top
floors. I often removed my slippers, for they kept slipping off anyway, and
made my way around in my stocking feet. On one steep and narrow staircase, the
man behind me reached down to kindly, but in my opinion foolishly, hand back to
me my errant slipper that moments before held my stinky and dirty socks. Ick! I don’t know if I would have been so kind if the roles were reversed.
While the outside was certainly beautiful and
very picture worthy, not worthy was the pricey fee to access its interior. Overall,
we were somewhat disappointed by the dark and dimly lit interiors with their
stark and unadorned walls. Its appeal would have been greatly heightened had there
been more artifacts and items of interest to keep our attention.
By late afternoon, we were back on the train
and into Osaka, our final destination. I can’t speak for the city at large, but
for that portion within a mile or so of our hotel, there was no evidence of the
old Japan we have experienced for the past several days. Gone were the temples,
shrines, and the simple Zen-like way of living.
We can certainly say that we saw every aspect
of Japan’s culture and society on this ten-day trip. But, as is usually the
case when traveling, you do eventually yearn for the comfort and routine of
home.
And, I must admit, I’m looking forward to the guiltless liberty of being able to cross the street while ignoring the red “don’t walk” signs.
For part one of our report, Tokyo and Hakone, Japan, please click this link.
Fantastic trip.... Thanks for sharing.
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